


No one will be aware of how many kisses there have been

by acatbyanyothername



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ancient Greek teacher Qui Gon, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Latin teacher Obi, M/M, Mace Windu Has A Headache, The beans are ridiculous, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26421967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acatbyanyothername/pseuds/acatbyanyothername
Summary: There's a new Latin teacher in town. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 31
Kudos: 87
Collections: Backwards QuiObi Bang





	No one will be aware of how many kisses there have been

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidnightDelirium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightDelirium/gifts).



> Title taken from the poem Catullus V.
> 
> Thank you [Tess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessiete/pseuds/tessiete) for organising this challenge that has been tons of fun! 
> 
> Thank you Midnight for the absolute jaw dropping art for which this fic was written. 
> 
> And thank you again to [Pomiar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pomiar/pseuds/Pomiar)  
> ,[Scruffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRex/pseuds/TeaRex) and [Lilibet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilibet/pseuds/TeaRex) for all your enthusiasm.
> 
> The environnement depicted in the fic is the bastard hybrid child of French university and class prépa, and you can blame any discripancy to this.

There's rumour of a new professor coming in. It's whispered that the old one quit in a fit of rage upon learning that the dictionary was now allowed during the national exam. He had come barging in the principal's office, his brows thunderous before hollering about the sheer treason of such a decision.

Dean Windu had been quite happy to escort his ex-lecturer to the door before telling him quite firmly that the decision had never been in his hands and that while he understood his frustration, there was nothing that could be done about it.

Presently Mace Windu had a headache. That was nothing new mind you. Most of the time, the source of his headaches was Qui Gon Jinn. This was one of the rare times when the old hippie hadn't anything to do with it.

Mace Windu was to put it plainly stuck. One of the most brilliant Latinists he had ever known had just presented his demission less than a month before the start of the term and Mace now had to find a substitute in what was frankly a ridiculous amount of time.

He was close to tearing his hair out, except that his scalp had long been shaved. He sighed. Nothing to be done for it. He would have to send out notice that he was looking for a new teacher and wait for the applications.

He had received a surprising number of them, but none of their credentials could hold a candle to the former professor. Well there was one application that held Mace attention among all the CVs now spread on his sturdy oak desk. The day had slipped through his fingers and the late afternoon light illuminating his office made him all the more aware of how pressing time was.

The man was young, early to mid-thirties, with a carefully trimmed beard and meticulously combed hair. Mace could almost believe that this was the younger ghost of the man who had stormed out of his office not too long ago. And that was the crux of Mace's hesitation. Because Dooku had been a brilliant Latinist but pedagogy had never been his forte.

Mace had lost count of the students that came in his office, dry eyes but shoulders hunched, with fidgeting hands, confessing about the almost crushing pressure of their Latin lessons. No one dared raise a hand or head for fear of being noticed and have their mistakes dissected in the most ruthless manner possible in front of everyone else.

Alas Mace hadn't been able to do anything about all of this. After all, the man had come with the post. Dooku had been here before Mace even became the Dean and had held the Latin’s teacher position since its creation.

He had never been more grateful than when Dooku had slammed the door behind him, but he refused to trade one Dooku for another. Unfortunately, Obi Wan Kenobi was the only suitable option. And thus Mace Windu took the risk.

* * *

Relief among the classics students was palpable this year as they sat on the uncomfortable wooden benches of the amphitheatre, eyes focused on the neoclassical mural landscape that adorned the wall behind the teacher's desk.

When the new teacher finally made his way down the stairs leading to the desk, the students held their breaths. The man was exactly how they had pictured their new teacher and nothing at all.

He wore a dark three pieces blue suit, impeccably tailored with a pale shirt peeking through, with shiny silvery cuffs. His hair was neatly combed back from his eyes, hidden behind black rimmed glasses.

He carefully set his armful of paper on his oversized desk and turned to face the students; arms crossed in front of him. His gaze settled on each of the students individually, stopping for a few seconds, before moving on to the next one. No one had dared take a breath yet.

Finally the man turned around to manoeuvre around the desk to reach the blackboard behind it and every student tensed in anticipation of the hellish sound of the chalk. It never came. With careful movements and graceful letters the new teacher spelled out his name for all the students to see.

Obi Wan Kenobi. That was the name of their teacher. When he turned back to face them, leaning over the desk, hands flat against it, they could see his eyes. Not that it helped settle the gossip that every student felt growing in their lungs and on the back of their tongues, along with one very important question. What colour were the teacher's eyes? Some could swear they were blue, others would kill anyone who dared insinuate they weren't grey, while others still vowed that they were green.

"Hello there!" He greeted the class amiably, his rich tenor resounding warmly across the room. "My name is Obi Wan Kenobi and I will be your new teacher." Whispers spread across the benches, but an emphatic clap quieted them down quickly. Again professor Kenobi's watchful eyes took the student's measure. But unlike Doooku's piercing glare, Kenobi's eyes were warm.

"Now, if you want me to treat you like the mature students that you are, there will be no gossiping in this class. If you have something to say in the future, I hope it will be about latin. Anything else, and you can ask me. Is that clear?" Professor Kenobi asked. All students nodded fervently, and a pleased smile spread across his face. He got around the desk to face the students properly and leaned against it.

"Good! Now, if you're here, it means you are among the best students of your generation and as such I trust your Latinist skills. My role here is to help you grow and polish these skills so you can perform your best during the national exam." This was the part the students had all been waiting for and most of the tensed shoulders that remained from Dooku's class lowered, as the pressure ebbed away.

"Participation will be on a voluntary basis, but I hope to at least know the sound of all your voices by the time the exam is coming. It will also be the fastest way towards success for you. I trust you to make this a rewarding year and not only a stressful one." Applause reverberated again, louder, and more genuine than before, and the rest of the lesson flew by in a haze.

Professor Kenobi took out a beautiful pocket watch and finally called an end to the lesson. He thanked all the students, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and painstakingly removing any chalk dust that coated his fingers. As he folded it again and tucked it in one of his pockets and was beginning to make his way toward the exit, he whirled around.

"I'm sorry. But I seem to have forgotten to ask an important question earlier. How many among you also study Greek?" Every hand except a couple of them shot up. Another smile spread across the professor's Kenobi lips. "Good," he said, "I really do look forward to this new year. We'll see each other tomorrow."

The professor had finally made his way to the exit when it was blocked by a looming body. Kenobi was forced to take a step back, and his genial behaviour hardened just slightly, his mouth pinching, and his eyebrows furrowing. There was only one person in the whole uni who was so tall that they had to bend to go through every door. Professor Qui Gon Jinn.

Saying that the man was tall was like saying Mount Elbrus was tall. He may not be the tallest person people had ever seen but he easily towered over students and other professors alike, Professor Kenobi included. His mouth pinched a little bit more, his back stiffened a bit further and the students watched with rapt attention.

They had hoped that Dooku's substitute wouldn't be the harsh taskmaster that the other was, but never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that their first day with their new teacher would provide such entertainment.

Where Professor Kenobi looked distinctly unhappy to be unable to exit the classroom, Professor Jinn for his part could not look more relaxed, towering over the Latin’s teacher. Crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes were crinkling more and more as a wide smile spread across his face. Still he made no move to let Professor Kenobi move past him.

Instead he extended a hand to grasp that of the younger teacher as if intent on shaking it vigorously. To the students and Kenobi's consternation however, he brought the hand to his mouth to kiss it. The blush that spread across Professor Kenobi's face was spectacular and all the students couldn't help but titter at the scene. This year promised to be so interesting.

As soon as his hand was released, Professor Kenobi almost fled the room. Professor Jinn for his part, leisurely descended the creaking abrupt wooden steps until he reached the desk professor Kenobi had abandoned earlier.

"Welcome! As most of you already know, I am Qui Gon Jinn and I'll be teaching you the beautiful language that is ancient Greek. You'll have to be flexible as you'll find none of Latin rigid structure here."

Professor Jinn was a well-known and beloved figure by the students. Eccentric was maybe the best way to describe him. He wore his silvering hair long, the top gathered in a half-ponytail to keep it out his eyes. He came to teach in long faded comfortable jeans, but he paired them with a dress shirt. Not that any of the students had ever seen the shirt buttoned all the way up or with the sleeves rolled down. No. Professor Jinn always showed up with his sleeves already messily rolled past his elbows, no cuff in sight.

By the end of the lessons, his jeans were covered in colourful cray chalk, so much so that sometimes it was hard to see the jeans underneath. His forearms were no better. He had long ago ceased to complain about the lack of erasers and had taken instead to using his own hands and forearms to wipe off the chalk from the black board.

The lesson concluded as usual when someone raised a hand, and professor Jinn who had been in the middle of explaining one thing or another abruptly stopped and looked at the student sheepishly.

"The hour is up isn't it?" The student could only nod. In reality, the hour had been up fifteen minutes ago, but Jinn had been too lost in the lecture to notice. There was a reason why one student always took it upon themselves to remind the teacher of the end of the lesson. Professor Jinn's watch laid as useless as usual on the desk, where he had put it at the before beginning his lecture.

Jinn bid the students goodbye, and as soon as he had crossed the exit threshold, gossip erupted in the amphi. Soon the noise rose at barely tolerated level. EVERYONE had a piece to say. What was that earlier with the new Latin teacher???? Never had they known their laidback teacher to show any interest in anybody, not even a fellow professor. And yet. He had brazenly kissed professor Kenobi's hand. Was he staking a claim? Against whom? One of the students? Was this the first step of a scorching courtship?

But wait, wasn't professor Jinn married? They had all seen the simple gold band adorning his left hand. But there had never been any talk about a spouse. Maybe professor Jinn was widowed? That would explain the ring.

The students were all in agreement. If professor Kenobi could make professor Jinn happy, they would all gladly set up the two of them together. Still some important questions remained, and a betting pool was opened. A student shared it on the online group for the uni and the pool went viral in no time at all. The ridiculousness only grew from there.

* * *

Mace could not say he had any regrets about giving Kenobi a chance. When he had shared his decision with Qui Gon, the man had smiled slightly.

"He's a good choice" he had said, "I'm sure you won't be disappointed." Mace had looked at the man curiously. "Do you know him?" Qui Gon had been silent for a while before answering. "I'm familiar with his academic works. He's very good. As I said, give him a chance, you won't be disappointed. He's a fitting substitute for Dooku."

And Qui Gon had been right, damn him. Obi Wan Kenobi had proven himself a very good Latin teacher. But now he had a student in his office asking if they could get their phone back after Kenobi had confiscated it when it had disturbed the lesson one too many times.

Truthfully, Mace couldn't begrudge him. The damn thing had kept lighting up with notifications and vibrating. It was a menace. And Kenobi had not been the only one to complain about the phones during the lessons. Pretty much every teacher had grumbled that for one reason or another the phones were a bigger perturbation than any year before.

The blasted phone had managed to give Mace a headache, but he still felt compelled to ask the student why they hadn't put the device to silent mode. He had not expected a twenty-year-old something student to stutter and turn deathly white. For a moment he was scared the student was going to faint.

This was quite an unusual reaction. Mace prided himself in being close to the students. Theirs was a small university and Mace had been a former teacher here. Thus he had strived to establish dialogue with the students. Only after much reassurance on his part that the student would face no disciplinary action, did the student finally cave in.

There was a betting pool, the likes of which Mace had never seen before in all his years in the academic field and it all revolved around Qui Gon Jinn and the new teacher. _What have_ _you done this time, you old fool?_ lamented Mace internally. A lot as it turned out.

It had all started with a _very public claim_ , how else could he describe Qui Gon bestowing a kiss on the back of Kenobi’s hand as if he were a gallant knight and the other the lady of his heart? But it did not stop there. Oh no.

According to the student in front of him, Qui Gon had also taken to leaving scraps of Ann Carson poetry on Professor’s Kenobi desk. It never failed to make the young teacher blush prettily. This was not simply an all-out seduction. This was courtship that made all the students flail.

The student also showed some of the bets to Mace. There were bets on everything, on the probability of Jinn’s seduction succeeding for once, and if it did, there were bets on the location, timing, and circumstances of their kiss. There were bets wondering if the teachers were going to get married within the year or not…It made Mace’s head spin. One particular phrasing caught his attention.

The bet read as such “How far will we be in our Latin grammar book revisions when Professor Kenobi finally succumb to Professor Jinn’s charm?” The student was quite enthusiastic when asked about it.

Apparently, professor Kenobi had decided to make all his students learn their Latin grammar book by heart by the end of the year. Thus, each week they were given a dozen pages to read and learn. Every two weeks, they would be quizzed to see if they had done their work.

All in all, Mace was impressed. It seems like Jinn had been right all along. Kenobi was a _good_ teacher. Maybe it was time for him to pay the new addition to his staff a visit.

He released the student after a stern talk down, after all if the students wanted to keep the betting pool going, they had to be more discreet for fuck's sake. Did they want to get caught red-handed? No? Then they'd better be able to find a way to tone down the shenanigans during their lessons because he had enough teachers complaining to him.

He couldn't have timed it better if he had wanted to. Professor Kenobi's lesson was wrapping up, with only a couple of minutes left. Confirming the student's says, Kenobi was assigning the pages they would have to learn by next week. The bell rang just as the Latin teacher finished talking and the students noisily began to clear the benches.

The smell of beeswax and wood was nostalgic just as much as the beautiful leather satchel on the desk in which Kenobi was currently putting the students' papers. But there was a lone piece of paper on the desk and Mace made a move to give it to Kenobi but the other just shook his head, and extended a hand to stop Mace, a small smile on his lips.

"Thank you Dean Windu, but that won't be necessary." Mace caught a glimpse of gold before the hand disappeared in the satchel again, checking if all the papers were there and then closing it.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" Kenobi asked politely. He still had not touched Mace and despite his easy smile there was a reserve behind his ever changing eyes. Mace cleared his throat and motioned Kenobi to follow him out of the amphitheatre.

"I just wanted to check on you" he admitted, "To see how you were settling in." A genuine smile lit up Kenobi's face.

"Quite well thank you. Despite my complaints over the phones, the students are good. "Well," he laughed, "we'll see if I have to amend my opinion after I've graded their translation but for now every student acquitted themselves honourably of the grammar tests so far."

"I hope none of the teachers gave you a hard time?" prodded Mace cautiously. The hallways were not too crowded yet and it was easy to keep a respectful distance with Kenobi without having to shout to be heard. The shadow of some unnamed emotion clouded Kenobi's face for a brief instant.

"I can't say I have any complaints." He finally murmured; eyes unfocused.

"Are you sure? Not even about Qui Gon Jinn?" Kenobi refocused instantly before he threw back his head and laughed, delighted.

"Oh no! Professor Jinn is a joy. I can't say I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing such a warm welcome in all my years." Kenobi said with a cheeky grin.

"I'm glad he has not offended you. Jinn can be…." Mace raked his mind for a polite term to describe the old hippie

"Frankly ridiculous?" I have no doubt about that," Kenobi replied for him. Damn the man, he was charming. And frankly quite likeable. Mace grinned in reply.

"Well then, once again let me formally welcome you here Obi Wan Kenobi. I am happy to work with you in the foreseeable future". Just as he finished talking, Jinn strolled out of an empty classroom and casually changed course so he could come and greet Mace and his companion.

"Professor Kenobi", he greeted happily, "Mace." He said, briefly inclining his head in Mace's direction but his eyes lingering on Kenobi. The latter had long since stopped holding eye contact with Mace since they had first glimpsed Qui Gon's towering silhouette across the hall.

"Hello Qui Gon. Do you have any lessons today?" asked Mace.

"I do. Amphitheatre 4 in ten minutes" Jinn replied. That was the one Kenobi and Mace had just exited. Mace thought back on the lone piece of paper left on the desk on purpose and couldn't help but wonder what game those two were playing.

"I think Professor Kenobi left something there when we left. Maybe you could bring it back to him later?" He added, looking at Kenobi but the young professor said nothing. Jinn's eyebrows climbed up and a jubilant smile lit up his eyes.

"I will see what I can find." Jinn told them, well told Kenobi really, who in answer just arched a truly unimpressed eyebrow.

"There is no missing it, Professor Jinn, it's on the desk." The hallways were getting crowded and Mace could feel the physical weight of the student's stares. Tongues were going to wag. Not even five minutes in the presence of the two teachers together and Mace had already quite enough of these fools.

"Well if you will excuse me gentlemen, I have work to do." said Mace before beating a hasty retreat. It wouldn't do for the Dean to just burst out laughing in the middle of the hallway. Oh but he was going to have so much fun.

Such a shame his status prevented him from ever participating in the betting pool. No matter. He would be quite happy to give the students some pointers. As long as it didn't impede their studies too much. Or he would be forced to put an end to it much to his chagrin.

When Professor Jinn strode into Amphitheatre 4, his backpack slung over a shoulder, all the students were already seated, waiting for him to arrive. Never had they been so zealous before. Every eye was focused on the one sheet of paper that Professor Kenobi had left there at the end of the previous lesson. Knowledge of its existence had spread like wildfire and every student had rushed to the amphi, intent on having a front row seat when Professor Jinn would read it.

Some daring souls had ventured all the way to the desk to see what the mysterious paper was all about. It was Latin. A poem of some sort although neither the author nor the title of the poem had been written down. Phones were ready to record Professor's Jinn every reaction and someone had even taken a photo of the mysterious poem. Cracking it would be a labour of love, or at least it would be for the most gifted among them. The rest would be happy to read the poem once translated.

Finally it was time to begin. The eyes that until now had been riveted on the desk all converged on Professor's Jinn. Each step it took to come down to the desk was agonizing, hands were clenched around the phones they were holding more or less surreptitiously, knees were bouncing in anticipation. Nobody dared breathed.

Finally, finally Professor Jinn was ready to take his spot at the desk when his eyes fell on the piece of paper. You could hear a pin drop. Gently he picked up the sheet and his eyes flew across the lines as he read them. It didn't take long, and then it was over. He carefully folded the sheet, a half smile floating on his lips and put the sheet in his jean's pocket.

"Now!' he exclaimed jovially "it's not every day that you manage to be so silent! But since it seems I have your attention, let's start the lesson, shall we?" The students groaned, unable to fully hide their disappointment. Well they reasoned, it was the first time Professor Kenobi had ever responded to Jinn's advances, but they hoped it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

It wasn't. Professor Jinn kept on leaving poems for Professor Kenobi every single week but the younger one only replied periodically and none of the students had been able to decipher any kind of schedule. They would have said that their Latin teacher left a poem whenever he came upon one that struck his fancy, but this was too facetious for their impeccably methodical teacher. And so the game went on.

Despite the students best efforts, and the Dean, nothing seemed to kindle the embers of romance that had sparked between the two men on the first day. They had tried to lock them in one of the small rooms where oral tests usually took place, purposely messing up the schedules so they were both in the same room at the same time, but nothing had happened during the hour of preparation it took for the first students to be ready for their respective oral tests. The two teachers had passed the time chatting amiably but perfectly professional.

On one memorable occasion, a student had come to professor Jinn for help on their greek translation and had ended up telling him that Professor Kenobi had been holed up in the teacher's office since the start of the morning classes and had failed to show up during lunch break. With their best worried voice and pleading eyes, they had asked Professor Jinn if he could possibly check on Professor Kenobi to make sure he was alright.

Jinn had levelled them with a penetrative stare, almost a glare before relenting. "Thank you for telling me," he had said, "I will check on him." It was already past six PM after all. A message had been sent to all the other students that were conspicuously lingering outside the amphitheatre to ask them to track Professor Jinn's movement once he was out of the classroom.

They had followed him to the cafeteria where he had bought some salty crackers and a cup of black tea which had been taken in picture and sent to all the others. Everybody knew by then that Professor Kenobi lived off black tea, while Jinn preferred green. There was no doubt in any of the students' minds that this was for Kenobi.

Indeed, professor Jinn came to a halt outside the teacher's office and knocked gently three times, and went in, closing the door behind him. Two students immediately pressed their ears against the heavy wooden door. But no sound could filter through. They had been at it for a good ten minutes when the door swung wildly open again and the students scrambled backward.

They were met with the stern face of Jocasta Nu, the palaeography professor. A frown was all it took for them to abandon ship. No one, no one crossed the fearsome Jocasta and lived to tell the tale. The first semester was not even over yet, better not to risk Jocasta's wrath. The mission was thus declared a failure and the students had a very productive evening at the uni library hiding from their awe-inspiring teacher.

Time flew by and nothing changed. More and more students had already lost their bets. But they didn't let this reality discourage them. On the contrary. The bets became more and more ridiculous. Some said it was a game from Kenobi, that until Professor Jinn did not beg or get on one knee publicly he wouldn't budge. For some, Professor Kenobi and Jinn were old flames whose romance had been doomed in the past. Some others yet said that the love poems the teachers left each other were not love poems at all but some form of elaborate code. 

It was already the end of November. The cold wind blew fiercely. Teachers and students alike disappeared under layers of clothing. Well, all except Jinn. The only concession to the impending winter he had made was big knitted sweaters, in all shades of green, that looked so comfy and warm that the students were jealous. His short woollen coat was more often than not draped on his arms.

Kenobi on the other hand didn't abandon his three-piece suits. But he now came to uni all wrapped up in long knitted grey scarves that covered most of his face and a long heavy woollen coat. He was never seen without a full thermos of tea, warming his hands with the hot beverage when he was not busy writing on the blackboard.

Professor Kenobi really tried to not crank up the heat too much, but Professor Jinn never failed to bring the temperature down in the amphi when it was his turn to teach. So the students were reduced to keeping their coats on their knees to warm themselves in the windy and poorly isolated amphitheatres.

By the end of November they also knew to go to the cafeteria before any of the lessons. Sometimes they would find Professor Kenobi there and for those who were short on money or just a bit too late, he would share some of the content of his precious thermos before sending them on their way to Professor Jinn's lesson.

Then the mock exams were upon them and their teacher romance was buried in the background of their minds. A low heavy silence had fallen upon the university like a lid for a week. Students passed by each other, silent phantoms buried in their last minutes notes, crumbling under the weight of the dictionaries, solemn faces and tired eyes. Both professor Kenobi and professor Jinn had brought chocolate for the students during the long hours of translation. A delicious black chocolate from Professor Kenobi and some small kinder surprise eggs from Professor Jinn.

It did make time go faster and by the end of the week, both teachers and students took a collective breath when the last pen was finally put down at the end of the ultimate test, a four hours translation from Euripides _Electra_. The mock-exams session was behind them and to celebrate it a giant buffet was set up in one of the classrooms for both teachers and students.

Students were still groggy after their intense week, but those who still had the energy placed a final bet. Tonight was the night. It was now or never. Would the teacher leave together? Would they excuse themselves before the party was up to go snog in one of the classrooms or amphis, in the library? Everything was possible especially with the freely flowing mulled wine.

Professor Kenobi and Jinn were engrossed in a conversation with Jocasta Nu, were they standing closer than was socially acceptable? Or was it the light of the evening playing tricks on their tired eyes? Were those hands brushing? And the little head wiggle of Professor Kenobi, it couldn't be because of Professor Nu now could it? It must have been because of Professor Jinn.

Surprisingly, it was Professor's Kenobi cups that the students kept refilling that evening. And still he showed no sign of tipsiness aside from a fetching blush high on his cheeks. But then the room was rather warm, wasn't it? And Professor Jinn in his untucked, unbuttoned shirt, his forest green sweater carelessly thrown on his shoulders and messy hair was quite attractive, wasn't he?

And then the unthinkable happened. Professor Kenobi politely excused himself from Professor Nu's side and migrated toward the large windows that had been left open to let some of the frisky evening air in. He stood there obviously relishing in the coldness and began to undo his cufflinks.

All the phones that had still some battery left in them lit up with notifications. Professor Kenobi's jacket sleeves were already pushed up on his forearms. All term the students had wondered about what the jacket and shirt sleeves kept hidden. But it seems that the unveiling was upon them! Indeed, in a couple of brisk efficient movements, Professor Kenobi had exposed his wrists and his forearms! The scandal.

More than a few stares were thrown in Professor Kenobi's direction. But not professor Jinn. It was Professor Nu who had to nudge him. Unlike what one would have expected, Professor Kenobi's forearms were strong and well defined, not scrawny at all. The students risked a glance in Jinn's direction.

Oh he was definitely looking now, as more and more skin was exposed until the sleeves were rolled just past the elbow. They watched avidly as the tall professor bent to say something to Professor Nu who shooed him away.

He made his way through the crowd until he stood by Professor's Kenobi side. Gently, with none of the flamboyance he had shown the first day. Instead he tenderly cradled Professor Kenobi's hand which disappeared into his and pressed their entwined palms to his forehead.

None of the students watching enraptured managed to understand what was said between the two despite pricking up their ears as much as they could. The strange intimacy lingered until Dean Windu, most certainly alerted by Professor Nu, shooed the closest students away and joined the teachers near the window.

With great reluctance, Jinn relinquished his hold on Professor Kenobi and left him in Dean Windu's care. All the students knew the two were friends but why was he giving up on the opportunity to spend the evening with Professor Kenobi so easily? It made no sense at all!

More than one student was a little salty that they wouldn't actually win their bets tonight. Professor Jinn continued to mingle among the dwindling crowd until the party came to an end and all the students bid him goodbye as he volunteered to help clean up the room. It was really unfortunate for all the student's plans of romance.

The next week didn't bring any changes either when it came to the teacher's relationship. On the contrary, it rather seemed to have come to a screeching halt. Professor Kenobi was back to his usual pristine bundled up self. Most students' hopes were seemingly crushed, the lingering fatigue after mock exams and the looming hivernal depressive episode did not help their crumbling spirits.

* * *

And then one morning, the day where Professor Kenobi was due to give them their translations back, they were dumbfounded to see no heads or tails of their teacher. That was rather unusual since Professor Kenobi always made a point to arrive twenty minutes early so students could come with their question without encroaching upon lesson time. But no one had seen Professor Kenobi this morning.

Five minutes past the time when the lesson should have begun, he still wasn't there. Anxiety was spreading among the ranks, no one really dared talk noisily. It just didn't feel right to act as if nothing was wrong. Finally they heard the door of the amphitheatre slam but it wasn't Professor Kenobi who came down the steps.

It was professor Jinn. He must have felt the student's astonishment because he gave them a tight smile and only said "Due to some exceptional circumstances, I will be assuring the lesson today." After asking the students what text they were working on, the lesson picked up.

Some of the anxiety had eased off the students, but whispers had started anew. A buzzing background noise that wasn't too easily ignored. What had happened to Professor Kenobi? What were these exceptional circumstances? Why was Jinn the one who showed up and not, say, Professor Nu?

And then the amphitheatre door slammed open again, letting in the cold autumn air. None of the students really paid attention to it, except to feel a tinge of annoyance that the latecomer didn't have the decency to at least arrive quietly.

But then professor Jinn froze in the middle of the question he was asking the student currently busy translating the text to help them progress. Curious, the students twisted around to see Professor Kenobi hurtle down the stairs. "I am so sorry. I am terribly terribly late, and I apologize." He was so flustered that he didn't seem to register the ancient Greek teacher until he came face to face with him.

The students couldn't help but stare. The buzz grew to a deafening crescendo. Their immaculate teacher was nowhere to be seen. Instead there stood a man, his face flushed, eyes a bit red and shiny, hair mussed, drowning in an old and oversized knitted burgundy sweater. Eyes went back and forth between the two teachers, between Jinn's tanned sweater abandoned on the desk and the one Kenobi was wearing. There was no doubt about it.

Professor Kenobi had just turned up to uni dressed in Jinn's clothes. The group conversation _exploded._ Every student now had their phone out, desperately typing out messages. THE BETS WERE OVER! THE TEACHERS HAD FINALLY SLEPT TOGETHER! THEY WERE LOVERS! HERE WAS DEFINITE PROOF! Of course a good deal of them were also grumpy that the teacher had chosen such an unremarkable day as yesterday to finally take the plunge. But the wait was over.

No one really paid attention to the teachers and it took the vast majority of the students at least a couple of minutes to realise that both teachers had disappeared. Well. If they were Jinn they would also have dragged Kenobi back to bed pronto. It was just as well that the teachers were absolutely adorable together or more than one person would have felt just the tiniest bit of jealousy.

They were quite busy when Dean Windu came in. Of course Qui had told him about Obi Wan being ill and when he had asked if he could take Obi Wan's place for today so the other could sleep and recover, Mace had agreed immediately.

Never would he have imagined Kenobi swiftly passing by him in the hallways in a rush to get to his class. The ridiculous man was obviously ill, something he had suspected since the party last week, but he had still shown up, intent on teaching his class. Mace had kept very quiet about Kenobi's attire of choice today and now felt an inordinate satisfaction upon seeing the students' reactions.

Now if only he could track down the two fools, he would be happy. It didn't matter if there was no one to teach today. He had every faith that once back on his feet, Kenobi would be able to make up for lost time.

He ended up finding them in his office. He'd had a feeling he would find them there, completely entwined in each other, deaf and blind to the rest of the world. He wasn't wrong. Qui was seated in his high-backed armchair, lap full of Professor Kenobi. One of Qui Gon's hands was buried under the other's sweater while Kenobi cradled Jinn's face between his hands.

" You fool……" Qui whispered

"You didn't tell me anything Qui!" came the feeble but indignant answer "How was I supposed to know?"

"You're definitely feverish. Really. You should have stayed in bed my heart." Kenobi made a noise of complaint and buried his face in Qui's neck. Hiding from the world. Qui Gon simply kept on holding him gently, tracing soothing circles on Kenobi's back. Mace had seen enough. He cleared his throat. Loudly.

If he had hoped to surprise Qui Gon, he was sorely disappointed. His friend only arched an eyebrow, such a perfect imitation of Kenobi's "arched eyebrow of judgement" as the students called it that Mace really wondered how none of those idiots ever discovered the truth.

"You'd better not have had sex in my chair Qui Gon. I would never forgive you if I had to change it." He threatened. "Now. Take your husband back. I bet he can't even stand up now." Obi Wan made a low noise of disapproval but was quickly hushed by Qui Gon.

"How did you know?" Qui Gon asked, as he followed Mace's advice and lifted Obi Wan in his arms, snaking an arm under the other's thighs, while the other encircled Obi Wan's back.

"You're really not as subtle as you think you are Qui. All the staff already knows or suspects" Mace snorted. "But you can take some comfort in knowing that none of the students figured it out despite their ridiculous bets."

"Go back to your home Qui. I'll tell you more later." and he went to open the door for his friend, a fond smile on his face.

* * *

It took a week for Kenobi to get better, but fortunately, he didn't have any lessons to give for the rest of the week. Mace took this time to bring Qui Gon up to date with the betting pool and finally asked him why he hadn't told him Obi Wan was his husband when Mace recruited him.

"I didn't want him to think he arrived where he is because of me, because he's my husband. I also have enough faith in him to know that his talents were more than enough for him to get the job. He's a brilliant Latinist" Qui said, a proud and fond smile lighting up his entire face and making his eyes crinkle.

The students were elated to see Professor Kenobi back on his feet. He gave them back their translations, which as usual were heavily annotated in red ink.

"You did great as a general rule. You have definitely made progress since the beginning of the year. But! And I can not stress this enough, there are still too many of you who are unable to give me back a translated text that is if not well written, at least comprehensible on its own. Remember! Nonsense is the worst error you can make and it won't be tolerated at the exam. Is that clear?"

The students nodded and the correction began. The lesson came to an end without incident, and then an impish smile bloomed on his lips. "Professor Jinn! Do you have anything to add?" The students all turned as one. Reclining on the benches of the top row, was Professor Jinn.

"I have actually." He replied jovially, unfolding his long limbs, and making his way toward Professor Kenobi. He came to a stop right in front of the other teacher. Every student who had begun packing stopped immediately.

Anticipation hung thick in the air and goose bumps erupted on the students' arms when Professor Jinn suddenly went down on one knee in front of Kenobi. Absolute perfect silence descended on the amphi. Students took out their phones. No way they weren't recording this.

"Obi Wan Kenobi, it is my honour and pleasure to teach and learn with you, would you marry please?"

He took out from his pocket two beautiful golden rings that he presented to Professor Kenobi. Without a word, but with tears shining in his eyes, the Latin teacher took out the larger ring and said "Let us live, My Qui Gon, and love. Catullus once made this promise to Lesbia. Today it is my turn today to make it. Remember it as it engraved on this ring I give you." and slipped the ring on Professor's Jinn finger.

Qui Gon got up from his position on the floor, headless of the dust that had gathered at the knee of his jeans. "I am not a woman, and yet Sappho has some of the most beautiful words to say. I have taken the liberty of using her voice today to tell you how much I love you my Obi Wan, my darling one. So you don't forget how much you mean to me, I have engraved it on your ring." And it was his turn to slip the ring on Obi Wan's finger.

None of the students were crying. None were blowing their nose either. If their phones screens were blurry it wasn't because their hands were trembling. No. They weren't waiting either for Professor Kenobi's formal answer. Yes he had slipped the ring on Professor Jinn's hand, but why was he not following the script? He was supposed to say "I do" before exchanging rings. What a maverick.

Finally Professor Kenobi's voice rang out, loud and clear for all to hear, even when they could all see the tears sliding down the corner of his eyes, and his slightly shaking hands.

"I do Qui Gon Jinn". "Again." he added.

The students _roared_. THEY WERE MARRIED? ALL THIS TIME? AND NONE OF THEM HAD BEEN THE WISEST? ALL THEIR BETS WERE NULL? Amongst the clamor, Obi Wan Kenobi's words to his husband were almost drowned.

"You really didn't have to do that Qui. Any of that really. You know I love you."

"And I love you too my heart. But it always saddened me I didn't court you the way you _deserved_ to be. Thank you for indulging me with this."

"Always Qui" whispered Professor Kenobi and all students politely averted their eyes to blow their noses when the two shared a tender kiss. It wasn't the ending they had foreseen but it was an infinitely more satisfying one.


End file.
